Our History

Sathya Sai Education has been practised around the world since the 1970s through many Sathya Sai Schools, together with a network of Sathya Sai Institutes established to promote and support the goals and aims of Sathya Sai Education with particular attention to teacher training. The Sathya Sai schools and universities are renowned for their academic excellence and high moral and ethical standards.

The Institute of Sathya Sai Education Australia was established in 1998 with the appointment of Dr Pal Dhall as the Director. Dr Dhall, along with Dr. Tehseen Dhall, conducted many programs and delivered many presentations in Australia and Overseas to Educational Institutions.

In 2015 the ISSEA was restructured to improve its governance structure. It adopted a non-profit limited liability company constitution with a board of directors. A new Institute Director, Associate Professor Roger Packham, and Deputy Director, Associate Professor (Siva) Muttucumaru Sivakumar were appointed to lead the ISSEA.

An International Workshop on Values Parenting for Trainers attended by 450 delegates was held in Prashanti Nilayam, Andhra Pradesh, India. It was through this workshop that the Education in Human Values program was developed.

This was the beginning of a Human Values Program for Sai Parents around the world. Sri Sathya Sai Baba gave an inaugural and a valedictory address and blessed the books published by ISSE, Australia as a resource based on the teachings of Sathya Sai Baba. These books have been translated into several languages. Subsequent workshops on EHV for Sathya Sai Parents and training workshops for facilitators have been held in many countries in addition to Australia - New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Indonesia, Taiwan, Thailand, Malaysia and Canada.

Following on from these initial workshops, parenting workshops have been developed by the Sathya Sai School, Murwillumbah, Australia with the aim of introducing the concepts of EHV to the parents of all children at the Sai School, so the EHV ideas can be re-enforced at home; the majority of these parents are not members of the Sathya Sai International Organisation (See programmes section for information on this programme), and this programme is aimed at the general population.

2001

A Diploma of Education in Human Values course was commenced. To date over 200 students have internally graduated from ISSE Australia. Eleven students have completed a similar Advanced Diploma, and a further six students were at various stages of completion. The Diploma and Advanced Diploma of ISSE gained recognition towards the postgraduate degree of Master of Learning Management by the University of Central Queensland in 2004 and one student completed a Masters Degree.

This course was replaced by a Certificate programme pending accreditation as a diploma programme under the Australian Qualifications Framework.

ISSEA Diploma students with staff of the Institute of Sathya Sai Education

2001

ISSEA hosted a 5 day workshop for the Heads of Departments in the University of Goroka, Papua New Guinea, in June of 2001. Following this workshop the University of Goroka adopted a Values Education Program for training teachers throughout the country.

Dr Pal Dhall, with the Vice-Chancellor of Goroko University, PNG

Early 2000s

ISSEA introduced SSEHV into an all aboriginal State Primary School in Cherbourg, Queensland in the early 2000’s.

2000 - 2010

The Sathya Sai U-Turn project conducted in Gympie, Queensland was integrated with the ISSE Australia. The Sathya Sai U-Turn project offered Education in Human Values to students at risk in the local schools, and hence, was taking EHV to the community.

For several years the ISSEA was involved in the adjudication of an annually held Oratorical Contest on Human Values in the Australian National University. The contest was open to all undergraduates of the University. It was sponsored by the Lions Club of Canberra.

2001 - 2014

A number of projects were conducted by students studying for their nominal Advanced Diploma programme, and some of these can be found in the Resources section. A number of other projects based on EHV have been implemented in a range of community settings by alumni of the ISSEA.

2001 - 2014

The ISSE Australia has delivered seminars and keynote talks at international seminars and conferences worldwide.